REVscene Automotive Forum - No tax break for B.C. shoppers: Judge blocks tax exemption in Washington State

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No tax break for B.C. shoppers: Judge blocks tax exemption in Washington State

HAPPY CANADA DAY

Quote:

BELLINGHAM (NEWS1130) - The tax exemption for B.C. shoppers that was going to take effect July 1 in Washington State has been temporarily blocked by a judge at the request of the city of Bellingham and Whatcom County.

When the announcement was made on June 8 by the Washington Department of Revenue, local governments reacted in shock. Many did not like the idea of a foreign government being part in their policy making.

Ken Oplinger with the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce says the city of Bellingham and the county are fighting the tax break because it will cost them $3 million in revenue in the first year.

"City of Bellingham and Whatcom County filed suite against the state of Washington on the imposition of this new mandate. The judge that heard it agreed with them that there needs to be a moratorium put in place, so that arguments could be heard."

Oplinger says for small cities and counties the exemption was going to be a substantial hit to their bottom line, but it's nothing personal against Canadians.

The judge has blocked the tax break until at least July 9th, when the case will be heard in court, at which point the judge will make a determination whether the block will be held in place, or whether they will go ahead and lift it.

i love getting anal'd on canada day

Quote:

Originally Posted by Captain Picard (Post 7012242)

i love getting anal'd on canada day

This is a double deep throat.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iRomey (Post 7012463)

This is a double deep throat.

Double Deep Throat and a DP...

lol i feel bad for the ppl heading to states now ..and i feel bad for the ppl in retail..rejecting all BC residents

that fucking sucks. i was going to head down there with the wife and take advantage of this!

So the retailers down there just lost out. It was a reason for some Canadians to go shopping down there.

On a side note, shopping in the US is overrated, IMHO. If anything, the selection is better. Prices are OK, but most of the time not worth the hassles. The tax break would have made a small difference. Oh well, life sucks and then you die.

weak sauce

taxes this, taxes that

give me a fucking break

Quote:

Originally Posted by MR_BIGGS (Post 7012471)

Double Deep Throat and a DP...

DDTDVDA

Quote:

Originally Posted by TOS'd (Post 7012712)

DDTDVDA

Is that even possible?? Like 6 on 1??lol

So basically for now, we have to pay 9% WA sales tax, followed by 12% HST. Wow. :D

Seriously, this is so freaking lame.

From now on everything is cash under the table :D

CANADA DAY represents HST and Carbon TAX!

Just temporarily blocked. There's still hope
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Quote:

Originally Posted by TOS'd (Post 7012712)

DDTDVDA

translate for the non-porn addicted crowd plox

didnt we always pay for WA sales tax b4? i honestly never looked at my reciepts to notice......

I bet Gordy Campbell took this judge out for dinner..

does this apply to all of washington or just bellingham/whatcom?

^ this is what i want to know...

The wording in the article IS pretty strange...but I'll probably say that it was a state judge that blocked it, and not one from Whatcom.

EDIT: found an article regarding the judge who blocked it. It was a Skagit County Supreme Court judge, which is the county under Whatcom.

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Wash...677/story.html

Quote:

BELLINGHAM — A Skagit County Superior Court Judge has issued an order temporarily blocking a Washington sales-tax exemption for British Columbians that had been scheduled to take effect Thursday.

According to County Executive Pete Kremen, the order means that B.C. residents won’t be able to claim the exemption until further notice.

Judge Susan Cook’s order is not final, and additional legal arguments in the matter are scheduled to be heard July 9.

In court filings, lawyers for the city of Bellingham and Whatcom County argued that the Washington Department of Revenue was granting the “HST” exemption based on a mistaken interpretation of state law.

They said an immediate court order was needed because local governments would suffer significant loss of tax revenues if the exemption took effect as scheduled — and noted that no corrective action by the state legislature is possible until the 2011 session.

The Department of Revenue issued the tax exemption notice June 8, based on the theory that B.C.’s new 12-per-cent “harmonized sales tax” or HST, which takes effect July 1, is a value-added tax, not a sales tax.

Even though B.C. shoppers will pay the 12-per-cent tax at the cash register, the new B.C. system still meets the “value-added tax” definition because the retailer and others who paid taxes along the supply chain will get a partial rebate on their tax payments, officials argue. That rebate comes from the revenue paid by the retail shopper.

As Revenue’s attorneys saw it, that meant B.C. residents were entitled to claim the tax exemption under a 1965 state law meant to help Clark County merchants entice Oregon shoppers. The law provides the exemption for residents of any state or province with a sales tax of less than three per cent.

But in legal documents filed Wednesday, city and county attorneys challenged that interpretation.

“It is undisputed that the retailers in British Columbia will continue to collect the tax from the purchaser at the time of sale based on the purchase price and it will be 12-per-cent sales tax,” the city-county legal memorandum said.

“Thus, call it what you will, and give whatever credit you like to the retailer, it is still a retail sales tax because the incidence of tax is on the consumer, and its character is a retail sales tax, regardless of what they wish to call it.”

I was just there today, still exempt when I asked. Just had to give them my DL

AMERICA!! FUCK YEAH.................nott

Just came back today, shop at the outlets and downtown.
Everything were tax free except for A&F coz their system hasn't been update yet!!!
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